if i think i can figure things out, is that curiosity or arrogance?

Billy probably should have kept his mouth shut, but he couldn't help it. "Ugh, you two are adorable," he teased.

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Topher grinned. "You should've seen them that day in Tony's lab," he commented dryly.

The dirty jokes had buuuurned.

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endsthegame

Sigh.

"You two also seem to get along well," Ender said.

It was a little dry, if you listened for it.

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"Yes, let's talk about you instead," Ben added, blushing slightly.

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Billy couldn't bring himself to look at Topher, and tried to give Ben a confused look instead. It might not have been very convincing. "There's nothing going on between us," he said. "If Peter or Warren said otherwise, they were totally lying." Because that was clearly the only way they could be misinformed.

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Topher looked appalled. Yeah, now he got why talking about relationships with other people was bad.

"Wh-- Peter -- Warren -- what?"

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endsthegame

"...No, they didn't say anything to me," Ender said, keeping his voice calm. "I just know you two are close."

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"Since you're out to dinner with us and stuff," Ben added with an easy smile.

Like a double-date thing! Which he didn't say because he was taking pity on Billy.

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"As friends!" Billy said quickly. "We're not... you guys are... you know what I mean."

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Topher bit his lip. "What did Peter say? He didn't make fun of you or something, did he?"

He was very hung up on this, yes.

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endsthegame

"Well, I'm convinced," Ender said, half under his breath, and took a sip of his beverage.

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Ben smothered a grin with his hand. "I don't care at all what Peter might have said," he told Topher. "Really. Breathe."

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"He--he didn't say anything," Billy said, which probably sounded totally believable, for real. "Er, forget I said anything."

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"But--" Topher chewed on his lip a little. "I mean." Lowering his voice a little, he explained, "He sometimes gets... you know. If he was mean or anything, I can talk to him."

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endsthegame

Ender's lips twitched a little, as if trying to accomplish a wan smile or some other vaguely knowing expression, but failing. "Peter does what Peter does," he said. "Sometimes that's sticking his nose in where he shouldn't. Talking to him probably won't change his mind."

He glanced from Billy to Topher. "Doesn't mean he doesn't occasionally have a point," he added lightly, "Just that it tends to be steeped in bullshit."

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Ben's hand squeezed just above Ender' knee. "Plus it's family," he said. "Weird timelines or not, Ender's still his brother. Family has a habit of getting irrational about who you're dating."

Of course, Ben was basing this on Jaina giving him the side-eye for dating Tahiri...

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"Yeah, I can imagine. But Peter's always been pretty nice to me," Billy said. "I guess 'cause he's a friend of a friend and all." The keyword there being friend, obviously.

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"So he... didn't say anything?" Topher was not completely convinced.

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endsthegame

"I find it hard to believe that," said Ender, who knew Peter. A little.

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"Maybe he's learning to be diplomatic," Ben offered.

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"He said he was glad Topher and I were friends," Billy said, because it was at least partly true. "He really was kind of nice."

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